Archaeology and ERC funding @ArchSci2020, European Parliament, 20th March 2018
Efthymia Priki
European Research Council Executive Agency
Social Sciences & Humanities Unit
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The European Research Council
supports excellence in frontier
research through a bottom-up,
individual-based, pan-European
competition.
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ERC is….
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Scientific governance: independent Scientific Council with 22 members
including the ERC President; full authority over funding strategy
Support by the ERC Executive Agency (autonomous)
Excellence as the only criterion
Support for the individual scientist – no networks! Global peer-review No predetermined subjects (bottom-up) Support of frontier research in all fields of science and humanities
Leg
isla
tio
n
Str
ate
gy
funding: it is
part of H2020
the Scientific
Council the ERCEA
ERC FUNDING SCHEMES
Starting Grant
•2-7 years after PhD
•up to €1.5M (+0.5M)
•for 5 years
Advanced Grant
•10 year track-record of
significant research
achievements
•up to € 2.5M (+1M)
•for 5 years
Consolidator Grant
•7-12 years after PhD
•up to €2M (+ 0.75M)
•for 5 years
Proof-of-Concept
for ERC grant holders only
• Supporting innovative potential
of ideas from ERC projects
• up to €150,000
• for 1 year
Synergy Grant
Re-launched 2018
• 2-4 PIs at any career stage
• up to €10 M (+4M)
• for 6 years
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ERC calls Budget Call Opening Submission Deadline(s)
Starting Grants
ERC-2018-StG
581 M€ (391
grants)
3 August 2017
17 October 2017
Synergy Grants
ERC-2018-SyG 250 M€
(30 grants) 3 August 2017 14 November 2017
Consolidator Grants
ERC-2018-CoG
550 M€ (287
grants)
24 October 2017
15 February 2018
Advanced Grants
ERC-2018-AdG
450 M€ (194
grants)
17 May 2018
30 August 2018
Proof of Concept
ERC-2018-PoC
20 M€
(130 grants)
6 September 2017
16 January 2018
18 April 2018
11 September 2018
2018 Call Calendar
Excellence of the Research Project
Ground breaking nature
Potential impact
Scientific Approach
Excellence of the Principal Investigator
Intellectual capacity
Creativity
Commitment
How are ERC research proposals evaluated? Excellence is the sole evaluation criterion
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Note: Quality of the PI's institution (where they
come from / where they go to) is not evaluated.
CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU MAY THINK…..
ERC funds "frontier research", including applied research.
The budget is distributed among the scientific panels as a
function of demand.
The panel descriptors do not represent ERC scientific
priorities.
The success rate is virtually flat across the eligibility
window (StG, CoG).
Publication record is not decisive in selection decisions.
The Host Institution is not an evaluation criterion.
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PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON…..
Multi- or inter-disciplinary proposals which cross
boundaries between different fields of research, or
Pioneering proposals addressing new and emerging
fields of research, or
Proposals introducing unconventional, innovative
approaches and scientific inventions.
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Social Sciences and Humanities SH1 Individuals, Markets and Organisations
SH2 Institutions, Values, Environment and Space
SH3 The Social World, Diversity, Population
SH4 The Human Mind and Its Complexity
SH5 Cultures and Cultural Production
SH6 The Study of the Human Past
Life Sciences LS1 Molecular Biology, Biochemistry,
Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics
LS2 Genetics, 'Omics', Bioinformatics and
Systems Biology
LS3 Cellular and Developmental Biology
LS4 Physiology, Pathophysiology and
Endocrinology
LS5 Neuroscience and Neural Disorders
LS6 Immunity and Infection
LS7 Applied Medical Technologies,
Diagnostics, Therapies, and Public Health
LS8 Ecology, Evolution and Environmental
Biology
LS9 Applied Life Sciences, Biotechnology and
Molecular and Biosystems Engineering
Physical Sciences & Engineering PE1 Mathematics
PE2 Fundamental Constituents of Matter
PE3 Condensed Matter Physics
PE4 Physical & Analytical Chemical Sciences
PE5 Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
PE6 Computer Science and Informatics
PE7 Systems and Communication Engineering
PE8 Products and Processes Engineering
PE9 Universe Sciences
PE10 Earth System Science
Each panel: Panel Chair and 12-16 Panel Members
2018 Panel Structure
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H2020 - Starting Grant 2014
BIRTH: Births, mothers and babies: prehistoric
fertility in the Balkans between 10000 – 5000 BC
KEY CONCEPTS
The project incorporates a holistic approach in understanding fertility and
skeletal, nutritive and cultural factors influencing birth during the Early-
Middle Holocene (10000-5000 BC) in the Central Balkans.
Team: 3 senior researchers, 5 post-docs, and an archaeology student.
Methods: Human osteometrics, geometric morphometrics, isotope & elemental
analysis, archaeozoological and archaeobotanical analysis, 14C dating,
agent based modelling, 3D modelling of artefacts.
Collaboration with over 20 museums and institutions across Europe.
Ground-breaking in creating a completely novel scientific framework for
research on ancient fertility.
Research outputs: 4 publications; paper and poster presentations; exhibition
in Serbia (March to April 2017): NEW AGE: the lives of mothers and babies
in the Balkan Neolithic (on the occasion of ERC's 10th year anniversary).
Impact: High visibility project in the media. Engagement both with the general
public (educational initiatives) and the academic community.
BIRTH: Project Fact Sheet
Learn more: http://new.ercbirth.com/ │13
PI: Prof. Sofija Stefanovic HI: BioSense Institute in Novi Sad, Serbia
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FP7 - Synergy grant 2012
NEXUS1492: New World Encounters in a
Globalising World
KEY CONCEPTS
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The project investigates the impacts of colonial encounters in the Caribbean,
and the intercultural Amerindian-European-African dynamics at multiple
temporal and spatial scales across the historical divide of 1492.
Team: 38 scholars and researchers (incl. postdocs and PhD students) from the
fields of archaeology, anthropology, bioarchaeology, human genetics,
physical geography, computer sciences, biogeochemistry, geochemistry,
and heritage and museum studies.
Integration of researchers from the Caribbean and collaboration with other
projects: HERA Carib and NWO Island Networks.
Methods: biomicrobe and aDNA analysis, isotope geochemistry, archaeometry,
artefact analysis, network analysis.
Inclusion of heritage management in the work plan.
Research outputs: 56 peer-reviewed publications; numerous conference
presentations; fieldwork reports.
Impact: High visibility project in the media (incl. film documentaries).
Engagement with the general public (educational initiatives, regional
heritage programmes). Heritage preservation.
NEXUS1492: Project Fact Sheet
Learn more: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/nexus1492 │15
Trans-disciplinary & transnational synergy of 4 PIs & 3 Host Institutions
Prof. dr. Corinne Lisette Hofman (University of Leiden)
Prof. dr. Gareth R. Davies (VU University Amsterdam)
Prof. dr. Ulrik Brandes (University of Konstanz)
Prof. Willem Willems (deceased)
THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH COUNCIL
More information: https://erc.europa.eu/
National Contact Point: https://erc.europa.eu/national-contact-points
Sign up for news alerts: https://erc.europa.eu/keep-updated-erc
Where to apply:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/
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